Stargate Atlantis Season 4 Episode 12 Prisoners of War
by Janus2
Summary: AU after This Mortal Coil. The Asurans are on the brink of three wars, the answer may lie with their creators or with the team of people sent from Earth to fight them.
1. Chapter 1

**Stargate Atlantis**

**04x12**

**Prisoners of War**

John Shepperd felt pain like he never felt before as he returned to consciousness he saw one of the Asurans standing over him wearing one of those Ancient military uniforms, his hand still extended were John's forehead used to be.

"Take him to his cell; prepare the other humans for probing,"

The Asuran turned to the two guards who picked John up and dragged him through the ship till he reached a cell into which he was thrown with quite some force, his head was ringing, he could barely make out the figure of someone walking towards him. John's eyes adjusted a little and he could tell that the person walking towards him was a woman.

* * *

Thousands of light years away on the most well protected planet in the galaxy an Asuran fleet liaison officer walked into the underground command bunker. Inside the compound there were no doors, only thick metal blast doors only accessible due the ability of the replicator nanites to pass through solid materials, in other words Oberoth's personal bolt hole. As he walked through the compound he nervously looked at Oberoth's personal guards, even for replicators they looked completely lifeless, there consciousness had been entirely deleted. The liaison officer suppressed a shudder, was that the fate of all Asurans, after the war…

"Liaison officer Hossack, report," Oberoth focused his eyes on Hossack, had he been human he would have nervously swallowed, however Hossack was not human, he was an Asuran, the true heirs of their creators the Lanteans or Alterrans known throughout the galaxies as either the Ancients or Ancestors.

"We have failed to capture any of the rebels, but we were able to capture the copies of the Tau'ri reconnaissance team and Dr Weir." Hassack didn't let his nervousness show, he commanded fleets against the wraith for Ori's sake, Oberoth was just an electorate of the collective.

Oberoth's eyes narrowed and his glare intensified.

"Then you have failed," Oberoth surged forward and shoved Hossack into one of the crystal conduits that supplied power from the two potentia at the base of the compound. "Although I suppose the capture of the other team may allow us to track down Atlantis…"

Oberoth stopped, he could feel something probing the edges of the collective, he saw Hossack gaze at the ceiling, and clearly they all felt it too. Whatever the awareness was it was invisible and had the capability to passively probe the collective without revealing anything of itself and was capable of the infiltrating the most secure location on Asuras.

The entity knew it had been observed, but it didn't react, for it knew that the Asuran replicators couldn't do anything to affect it. It continued to observe, the Asurans were able to repeatedly put up highly advance digital defences, all of which the entity was able to pass through without effort. Further and further it pushed into the collective, deeper and deeper than any other Asuran till only the entity and Oberoth were present.

Oberoth felt the entity push deep into the collective, even into the secure area of the collective that insured his control over the collective, then it left.

"High councillor?" Hossack hesitantly asked, he had also felt the entity force its way into the collective then leave. Oberoth still hadn't moved from when they'd detected the probe.

"Yes… well done on capturing the copies of the Atlantis reconnaissance team, I will send a specialist to deal with them."

Hossack looked confused.

"What expert?"

Oberoth similarly looked confused till he continued to speak.

"Commander Talus, of course, he successfully probed the minds of the Lanteans there and has experience to deal with the team, I will divert his warship to retrieve them. Liaison officer Hossack, you are dismissed."

Hossack nodded and tried not to look relieved and hurried out of the bunker to the military command city-ship. He used the secured ring arrays to get to the base of high command city.

Back in the bunker Oberoth seemed puzzled by his decision to send Talus; after all he had failed to secure Atlantis from the Tau'ri. As he mussed he didn't see his security drones leave, however he did notice the entity reappear, not in the visible universe but inside the collective.

"What do you want, what are you?" Oberoth asked out loud, as his collective access was being disrupted by the entity.

_That is of no consequence, Talus is the person that needs to go to be set free._

"Set free, what do you mean?"

* * *

The military city-ship was different to the others in the city and was designed and built completely by the Asurans and was not a known Lantean design. While other city-ships were powered by three potentia the military high command city-ship was powered by nine of the power modules, and was installed with a far more powerful shield and vastly increased drone storage bays and housed the Directed Energy Transmission Beam fired through the stargate to drain Atlantis' shield. Hossack entered the control room at the centre of the tower, the area included a control chair rather than a stargate and the control room was more like the bridge of an Aurora class warship, except instead of the white wash walls of Auroras the walls were darker and featured bronzes and golds along with blues in a similar manner to regular city-ships.

Hossack headed towards the imposing figure of General Korceanat, he was seen and Korceanat took him into his side office, here the walls were white washed, the bulkhead closed behind Hossack, however as ever the one thing that drew Hossack's attention was drawn by the hologram of the Lantean General Hippoforalkus. He always noticed the General's hazel eyes and dignified wrinkles and proud military features along with what must have once been jet black hair with only some greys.

"I've deactivated the collective monitoring systems and have partitioned your consciousness from the collective, Oberoth won't be able to peak, what's wrong?" Korceanat asked.

"Oberoth was berating me until some kind of entity infiltrated deeply into the collective; it seemingly caused Oberoth to send Talus to take custody of the duplicates of the Atlantis reconnaissance team."

"Talus interesting,"

"Why is that interesting?"

Korceanat merely smiled before continuing to question his officer.

"What can you tell me of the entity?" Korceanat was at his control console cutting through Oberoth's firewalls like a hot knife through butter, unknown to the rest of the collective high command was part of a completely separate partition of the collective.

"I don't know but it was able to override any defences we had in the collective with ease."

"When did this occu…" Korceanat trailed off as he examined the readings. "Something is still inside the collective and is interfacing with Oberoth as we speak."

Korceanat looked up at Hossack with a puzzled expression.

* * *

"This is my collective and I will control it as I see fit!" Oberoth was unused to opposition; everything on the collective could be controlled by him whether they knew it or not.

The reply came back almost sarcastically which would of course be impossible as it was only a data stream inside a subspace network.

_This is your collective is it? Then why do you have to keep erasing the memories of those who have a new idea. Do you honestly think you've got all those who are discontent with the status quo, Talus is just the tip of the iceberg soon there will be civil war Oberoth, an uprising. _

Oberoth calmed down despite the taunting of the entity.

"Why are you telling me this," Oberoth then looked around the control room of the compound to see his drones were gone. "Where are my drones?"

_I've restored them, returned their memories and consciousness to them. Oh and do you remember Niam, well he'll be back, but that will be a pleasant surprise as you won't remember this conversation._

As soon as the voice was gone a high pitched wail started, Oberoth futilely held his hands over his ears as he doubled over in pain.

For once in his existence his firewalls broke down and he became just another Asuran, emotions like that of any other Asuran or human broke through, Oberoth was scared, he wasn't like other Asurans. He was the controller, he was the heir to the Ancients, he held the power and technology of the Alterra and Lanteans, he could not afford to be influenced by emotions only cold hard logic. He raged against the voice of the entity till his awareness faded into white nothingness and his memories faded.

* * *

Korceanat and Hossack watched the entire thing through the subspace link, Korceanat smiled; at last he knew why Oberoth was different to the others.

"I'll add you to the high command partition of the collective; Oberoth will be unable to reach you inside the partition, you have my word," Korceanat told Hossack while gesturing to the door.

Hossack nodded knowing that he was being dismissed before leaving the officer, the door slide neatly shut behind him. Korceanat used some of the controls to triple lock the bulkhead before opening a subspace channel. A holographic screen appeared before him, on the screen the image of a city-ship control room formed, directly in front of the video feed stood a blond haired woman who was wearing the outdated Atlantis expedition uniforms, Korceanat had to admit the form she had taken was beautiful by human standards.

"Why do you still use that form?" Korceanat had to ask.

"_Because I like it General." _The Asuran with Dr Keller's shape smiled and winked at the Korceanat before continuing. "_And to what do I owe the pleasure of this message General."_

Korceanat pressed some more buttons transferring the information.

"You duplicates of the Atlantis reconnaissance team survived and are to be taken for interrogation on board the Asuran Aurora class ship _Celestis_ under the command of Talus. I presume their resistance to mind probes is due to the nanites inside them."

"_Yes, the nanites are set to offer a high level of resistance, they could be over written by repeated probes."_

"I've sent you the ships trajectory information and your new city-ship was personally designed to act as fully operational factory city with facilities to produce your own potential to replace the three of the four I smuggled to you."

"_Yes and we thank you for your efforts on our behalf, and when we achieve ascension know that we shall offer a place for you."_

Korceanat nodded in thanks for the offer.

"I've sent probes to investigate the remains of the city-ship where you created the duplicates; I'm begin to clandestinely salvage components of the shields and stardrive systems, if anything is useful I'll send you the pieces by the same courier."

Korceanat adjusted the controls to show a land based Lantean outpost.

"Construction on the outpost for your cities new homeworld is complete and I'll leave the fabricator ship nearby for you to locate."

"_Once more thank you,"_

The Asuran nodded before shutting down the link.

A light flashed on Korceanat's desk, he brought up the message that appeared, it consisted of advanced coding in Lantean characters and at the end a single message flashed.

_May it serve you well._

Korceanat quickly analysed the coding and realised exactly what it could do, it was a virus that would completely and permanently remove Oberoth's firewalls from the collective, which meant it could only have been sent from one being…


	2. Chapter 2

_John flew the Jumper past the two Asuran cruisers, he checked the sensors to see them pursuing them, he punched in the symbols his original had provided him opening the Stargate for them to escape. He turned to see his version of McKay share a nod with him along with Teyla and Ronan, when he met Elizabeth's eyes he saw resignation, however she to nodded._

_John cloaked the jumper but it was too late, the Jumper's inertial dampeners failed to completely compensate as the ship took a hit. John tried to return fire but it was useless, there was too much damage, the flight controls were useless. He tried vainly to do something, but it was too late, the Jumper took another hit, he felt the Jumper begin to spin._

"_We've lost the left engine pod," it was McKay John realised whose voice it was._

_John didn't really need to know that, all he needed to know was that it was over, they'd made a difference. At that moment he felt a sense of catharsis, he felt free, he finally understood why people aspired to ascension. He saw the ground rush up to meet him, he was not afraid; he had made a difference, that was enough._

_He was thrown forward into the Jumper's control console, his neck snapped, however he wasn't dead. John could feel the nanites in his body reset the fragments of his neck back together, but it didn't stop the pain as his body was knit back together. _

_His head was ringing and he'd lost track of time, it could have been seconds, minutes or hours, but the more rational part of his mind, a part that sounded disturbingly like McKay pointed out that they only needed the amount of time to ring down, beam transport or use their own Jumpers. But the time didn't change the fact that an Asuran replicator pulled him up from the console, John loved the look of shock on the dark skinned Asurans face as the skin lacerations on his face knitted shut._

"_Yeah we tricked you, but don't feel so bad, we almost had ourselves convinced." John watched as the Asuran backed up before firing his energy pistol John saw the bright flash of light as he slipped into blissful oblivion._

* * *

John screamed as he woke up, Teyla was instantly at his side pouring water down his throat. As he regained consciousness he looked round to see Teyla, Ronan, McKay and Elizabeth.

"I take you're all my versions," John asked pulling himself up before faltering, Teyla wrapped his arm around her and pulled him to the bench and sat him down.

"Yeah, it took a while but those nanites patched us up, they want to know what we know about Atlantis." McKay said through what looked like the Asuran equivalent of a protein bar. "They also seem to have another purpose than repairing our bodies."

Shepperd look up questioningly at McKay but it was Elizabeth who continued.

"They seem to offer some shielding from the mind probes, doesn't affect the head aches though."

Elizabeth smiled sadly at John, who nodded in response and clutched his head as he shakily got to his feet; he still supported his body on the bench.

"Everyone okay?" John glanced at each of them.

"Yeah,"

It was McKay who responded, following John's questioning glance.

"When the Jumper crashed we were knocked unconscious while the nanites repaired us, unfortunately you were still conscious which seemed to have caused some side-effects."

John nodded in understanding.

"Alright, everyone let's try to get out," John walked to the front of the cell and reached out experimentally to the perimeter of the force field but pulled back in pain and shock as the green force field snapped into place in front of his hand.

He looked round to see the other sharing glances that didn't fill John with much confidence.

* * *

In orbit of New Athos an impressive fleet of Asuran cruisers fashioned in the design of those used by the Ancients millennia before. The ships formation scattered as another ship arrived, far larger three kilometres long and half a kilometre wide, with a completely utilitarian design and a narrow profile bristling with anti-fighter batteries clustered aside domed bridge compartment, drone launcher bays. Overall the _Celestis _was a specifically customised Aurora class ship outfitted with a potentia at the core unlike other ships.

Commander Talus looked around his bridge crew, some of them had been looking at him like a hawk, and Talus knew if he made a single wrong move he'd be deleted before he could swear by the colonists of Avalon. Talus walked from his seat and headed into the ships core as his crew moved into position near the lead ship holding the prisoners.

Talus relieved the duty officer and walked into the ring array sending a mental command for activation as they surrounded him and sent him via the matter stream to the offending cruiser.

* * *

John, McKay, Teyla, Ronan and Elizabeth got to their feet and nervously looked to the doors as they opened, the force field flared and deactivated as the metal door slide open. The normal Asuran guards entered followed by an Asuran that was familiar to each and every one of the team, it was the commander of the Asuran attempt to claim the city just under a year ago, except he looked different, he seemed tired and frustrated. Following behind him was the figure the team also recognised as the commander of the ship they were being held on.

"As you can see they've been less than cooperative to our efforts to break them." The commander observed them like test tube specimens.

"I think it helps if you don't brutalise them," the Atlantis commander turned to his contemporary his face a show of the pure rage at the heart of all Asurans. "Now get out!"

John backed off slightly at the commander roared.

The Asuran nodded and left, the blond commander turned to the guards.

"Wait outside."

As they started to leave Ronan moved forward menacingly towards them.

"I'd bring those guards back if I were you,"

The commander fixed Ronan with a glance that seemed to show every single one of the ten thousand years since the Ancients betrayed they creations.

"My name is Commander Talus of the _Celestis_, and you may do whatever you want with me, but I urge you to listen first." Talus looked at each of the team.

John put a restraining hand on Ronan's shoulder before turning back to Talus.

"We'll listen,"

It was McKay who answered glaring at Talus with an intensity only matched when Ronan fought a wraith.

"But as to what happens after, let's say I won't take any responsibility for what the big guy here does afterwards." John smirked at Talus while casting an affirming glance at Ronan who nodded.

Talus nodded.

"Thank you, for that much at least." Talus took an unnecessary breath before starting. "My task is to escort you back to Asuras for interrogation, I promise while on the journey you will be well treated and feed. As to when you arrive I know your minds will be probed, but I'll do everything in my power to ensure you are well treated. I will also do everything in my power to allow you onto one of our warships on the frontlines."

"Why?" Elizabeth walked towards Talus to look him in the eye waving off John's restraining hand.

Talus looked over his shoulder, putting his hands behind his back and leaning in to whisper as if a secret.

"Suffice to say not all of us have given up upon ascension as the rebels believe. For the sake of my continued existence I must avoid being discovered by Oberoth, for if I was discovered I would instantly face a fate worse than death."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow looking at Talus in a calculating way.

"Naim?" McKay had not meant it as a question but it wasn't exactly confident.

Talus nodded.

"All of my memories, my hopes my dreams, my awareness, everything that makes me, me would be erased and pulled away from me leaving nothing more than a shell for Oberoth to control," Talus' sentence ended with a snarl.

Talus took a look at each of the team before walking into the cell and put his energy pistol onto the bench.

"Whatever you want to do I would tell you to do it quickly for the guards will eventually realise that something is not right."

Talus closed his eyes and opened his arms in invitation for the wrath of the team.

Ronan was about to strike before he pulled back.

"There's no point, no matter what I do he won't feel pain, so there's not much point." Ronan surprised everyone, inwardly he cringed at the team's surprised look; sometimes they forgot that he wasn't just a runner.

Talus smiled at them.

"Follow me to my ship, don't make any false move and I promise you'll be safe," Talus re-holstered his weapon and walked to the door.

The team shared a look before John gestured to the door and they followed Talus out.

When they reached the door Talus had dismissed the guards and was heading down the corridor, he stopped before looking at the team, his face imploring. The others shared a glance before Elizabeth took point and lead the others down the corridor to the ring transporter array.

When they got there the team looked confused as Talus dismissed all the guards except the operator, McKay looked at the indents in the floor with recognition.

"Rings?"

Talus turned to the scientist before he figured out exactly what he meant, he then nodded.

"We can build anything those you refer to as the Ancients can build; we are their true heirs and inheritors of their legacy,"

Talus beckoned them forward and nodded at the operator when they were all inside the circumference of the transporters.

* * *

As soon as the matter stream completed a successful transport the massive bulk of the _Celestis _broke orbit and left the formation behind before jumping to hyperspace. Inside Talus lead the five humans into a decidedly luxurious room, the room featured a viewing area with seats to observe the streaks of the hyperspace conduit, there were ten doors off to the side of the room, eight of which were large suites each with a large double bed and en suite bathrooms. While the two remaining doors featured holographic display rooms identical to that on Atlantis.

"This is the diplomatic envoy room; you should know that there'll be two guards on the other side of the door." Talus then walked to an Ancient console recessed into the wall with a set grating above. "This is the Lantean food processor system, all you have to do is enter the preprogramed food data. And Dr McKay, I've checked your physiological reports there are no citric acid compounds in any of the programs-"

Talus was cut off when a female voice came over the intercom.

"_Commander Talus please report to the bridge,"_

Talus looked at the assembled team.

"Excuse me,"

He walked out of the bulkhead door, as soon as he was gone John turned to Teyla.

"What's your impression of him?"

Teyla took a deep breath and moved her stare from the door.

"I think he honestly wants ascension, he seems tired and frustrated, other than that he's very good at hiding things from others,"

* * *

Talus arrived on the _Celestis' _bridge, he immediately made for his first officer.

"Commandant Odmenda report,"

The female Asuran looked up from her console at her commanding officer.

"We have a positive result from one of your probes; we have located the cloning facility,"

"And?" Talus sensed that something wasn't right.

"We have detected a number of wraith ships defending the system, thirteen cruisers and three hive ships plus the darts they're using as a screen."

"What's the status of the device?" Talus' military mind was already adapting strategies to counter the wraith numbers.

"Constructed according to you specifications with a total energy containment of a potentia at half charge and is set to detonate on a remote signal, but we still need to get it into the facility."

Talus nodded before heading towards his officer

* * *

General Korceanat stood on one of the few balconies on the military city-ship; the view wasn't as nice as one would be on a standard city. Aesthetics had been traded in for functionality, the traditional materials used in construction were replaced with the same alloy of Neutronium, trinium, carbon and naquada that was used for the hull armour on their ships. The alloy itself was one of the strongest known to both the Ancients and the Asurans, however the Asurans had been able to devise a more efficient process for refinement that had a higher yield allowing faster production of ships.

Korceanat heard Hossack's arrival and turned on his subordinate.

"Liason officer report,"

Hossack looked around before gesturing for Korceanat to come forward, the General moved his right hand to his side arm but followed his officer into his office.

After Hossack configured the subspace dampener from the collective.

"I've ran the test several times to be sure, I'm positive. It's him…"

Korceanat's eyes widened, _at last the rein of Oberoth was nearing its end._

* * *

"Let me get this straight, you want us to fly a jumper through a wraith fleet, infiltrate a high security bunker and set a bomb that will in all likelihood destroy the entire planet?" John had to be certain.

"Yes, the wraith cloning facility is one of the reasons the wraith won the war ten thousand years ago, it allowed their numbers to swell to a significant point to overwhelm the technological advancements of our creators." Talus knew that is he wanted to do this then getting the teams help would be the only way.

"Hey, I don't see the problem. He wants our help to blow up wraith, no problem." Ronan put simply.

John turned to Elizabeth.

"What do you think?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath.

"This facility not only poses a threat to the Asuran war effort, it also threatens every human in his galaxy, it needs to be eliminated."

John nodded in turn before returning his attention to Talus.

"So what's the plan?"

* * *

Several hours later McKay was flying a puddle jumper from the outer edges of a star system towards the wraith base while John took a nap in the back of the ship, when he looked out of the cockpit window he saw the wraith armada and ships lying in wait.

McKay moved his hands over the crystal console and sent off the signal to the _Celestis._

"Shepperd, we're here,"

John roused slowly as overhead swept the blur of the _Celestis, _due to its velocity the sensors had trouble reading it due to the Doppler shift.

* * *

As soon as Talus received word from the human team he immediately dropped the ships cloak and headed towards the inner planets at point nine nine of the speed of light. The ability to reach that velocity was unique to Asuran and Lantean warships as a tactical manoeuvre. Moving so fast that you had to be millions of kilometres for a measurable delay before the ship blew past them. Talus set the shields to maximum draining power from the potentia as necessary to hold until maximum entropy was achieved.

As soon as the blur of the _Celestis _slowed to a halt in the midst of the wraith formation instantly opening fire on the local cruisers with green particle beam weapons causing three to be instantly destroyed. As the wraith fleet opened fire Talus ordered his crew to target the darts with the ships point defence batteries while he emptied one of the drone storage bays targeting the hive ships while moving the primary beam arrays to bear on the cruisers.

The _Celestis _rolled to the side as gigatones worth of plasma bolts collided with the orange barrier of the shields, over time it would deplete the potentia , however Talus didn't intend on staying long enough for that to be an issue. The Asuran ship concentrated its fire on the cruisers, while the hives had more powerful weapons the cruisers were a bigger threat in a desperate battle wherein they would take kamikaze runs on the opposing vessels seriously compromising their overall effectiveness.

From a distance the light show of the battle showed massive flashes of superheated gas as the atmosphere on many of the cruises was set alight, miniature stars flared forth some of which collided with other wraith ships causing massive damage of flaring with the orange shields of the _Celestis._

* * *

John gently guided the Jumper down before jumping up from the pilot seat and taking the Asuran plasma pistol Talus had supplied each of the team.

"Elizabeth stay here. Rodney take the bomb, Ronan take point. Teyla hang back with Rodney, lets go,"

John and the others left the Jumper, as the ramp closed after them Elizabeth bit her lip nervously.

"_Godspeed,"_

* * *

John and Ronan sped through the bunker firing at whatever wraith challenged them, however there weren't many. They four followed the plans Talus had provided right to the centre of the bunker when they arrived Teyla, John and Ronan quickly dispatched the technicians.

McKay slotted the doped ZPM into the bioorganic slot while typing into the portable computer Talus had provided.

"It's done,"

John nodded.

"Let's go,"

They instantly made a run for it; however their progress was hindered when a group of wraith cut them off. They were caught trading fire across the corridor when Ronan turned to John.

"It's been good, but this is goodbye Shepperd."

Before John could realise what Ronan meant he ran forward firing into the wraith lines.

"Ronan! Ronan!" John called out desperately into the battle.

"Just go-" Ronan was cut off when a wraith pinned him into the wall and started to suck the life out of him, Ronan turned into a withered husk before their eyes.

* * *

Elizabeth was pacing across the rear compartment as the hatch opened and Teyla, John and Rodney ran in their faces sombre as the hatch closed behind them, sans Ronan.

"Where's Ronan?" Elizabeth looked desperately amongst the before realising what had happened.

John took the Jumper into orbit to see that five more cruisers had arrived and were pounding the _Celestis' _shields. John headed straight into the bays and transported to the bride.

* * *

Talus looked at his displays; three hive ships were on the way. The doors behind him and four humans entered Talus initially tried to ask about the fifth one before seeing their faces.

"Redirect all power to the shields," Talus returned his attention to the humans. "Detonate the potentia."

McKay nodded and imputed the signal causing a fireball the size of a star to envelope the entire planet instantly vaporising the wraith in orbit throwing the _Celestis _far from the blast.


	3. Chapter 3

When John came to he felt terrible, his eyelids where like sandpaper as he forced them open, acrid smoke and charred crystal pulled him to the present. As his vision came into focus he realised he was still on the _Celestis' _bridge, somewhere in the background he swore he could hear McKay's voice barking out orders, John slowly realised he was now in a seat. He once more weathered the pain as his eyes opened once more.

"Colonel Shepperd?" It was Talus, his hair slightly dishevelled as he drifted into John's focus.

John leant forward, he realised that he was in the centre control chair reserved for the ship's captain.

"What happened?" John's voice was barely more than a croak, his voice dry and hoarse.

"We were closer than I'd have liked to the explosion, we were lucky to have made it out in one piece." Talus offered his hand to John.

As John took his hand a silver stream entered his body, John started to panic till his vision cleared and his throat felt better. The silver stream pulled back into Talus.

"My apologies, I used my own nanites to give your nanites a boost in healing you." Talus stood back as John stood up. "I've sent Dr Weir and Teyla to their quarters and Dr McKay is assisting with the repairs."

"Why?"

"We're stranded in enemy territory; our reserves of power have been severely and we have detected more wraith vessels on approach," Talus was already leading John back to the diplomatic suite. "I'll take all the help I can get,"

Before they left Talus turned to McKay gently taking his arm and pulling him into a side alcove.

"Be ready when I give the signal, the patch will be undetectable till you activate it and the damage will be untraceable."

McKay nodded in response as Talus left.

* * *

The Asuran who had taken the form of Jennifer Keller leaned against the railing of their city-ship, her eyes were closed. Jennifer as she called herself was bathing in the light of the hyperspace conduit, well, not just the light. Jennifer idly wondered if the human and wraith species that used hyperspace propulsion even knew the pleasures caused as the extra dimensional energies washed over them.

She was brought from her mussing by one of her fellow Asurans who had abandoned the adopted form taken while duping the copies of the Atlantis reconnaissance team.

"Ma'am," Jennifer turned to see one of her fellow Asurans, once more in his natural form, swept back black hair and artificial facial hair, he spoke with what humans from Earth would refer to as a cultured British accent.

"Yes Lyos, what is it?"

Lyos looked out at the hyperspace conduit.

"We are nearing the coordinates where Korceanat tracked the _Celestis, _the planet has been destroyed and wraith ships are approaching. We will however arrive long before them."

"Good increase the power to the stardrive to 15%, and be ready for battle, I want the _Celestis _disabled as soon as we drop out."

Lyos nodded before leaving.

* * *

Oberoth flew the transport to the Military city-ship, he didn't like going there, it stood for everything Oberoth detested, free will. Oberoth closed his eyes and tried to see into the data stream for some reason the feed from the city had been silent for a few hours and he needed to know exactly what Korceanat had told. Oberoth temporarily retreated into his memories. He remembered more than any other Asurans, he remembered how the director of the Asura project; Kashyapa, who he used his own consciousness as a basis for Oberoth himself. He remembered Kashyapa telling him of the Lanteans, of their fall from grace how the new born Asurans would be the inheritors of their legacy, their heirs.

Oberoth was drawn out of his mussing as the shuttle landed on the pad inside the city. While almost all Asurans knew of the military city-ship only few knew it by its true name, _Biarmaland_.

As Oberoth walked out of the transport he abruptly stopped when he saw the Asuran military officers pointing their pistols at him. Oberoth reached out in the collective to find, nothing. These Asurans weren't part of the network, but that wasn't possible. Oberoth opened his eyes to see all five of the officers smirking at him, Oberoth was ready to roar in frustration and anger as a laugh reached his ears, Oberoth turned to see General Korceanat striding towards him.

"Well, well, well high councillor Oberoth," Korceanat walked right into the line of fire of his officers to stand before Oberoth. "Welcome to the revolution,"

Korceanat's smirk was the last thing Oberoth saw as he crumpled into unconsciousness.

* * *

Talus and Shepperd re-entered the suite he had given them. Shepperd immediately went to check on his friends while Talus entered one of the holo rooms opening a channel to the bridge.

"Dr McKay be ready,"

McKay responded in an affirmative as John and the others walked in looking at Talus questioning.

"Wait for it," Talus held a hand up forestalling John's question.

"_Commander, we have an incoming transmission from Oberoth."_

Talus smiled wryly as he turned the holographic interface on.

"Stay out of sight," Talus whispered to the team.

John nodded and guided Elizabeth to the other side of the console were Teyla already was.

The generator purred to life and Oberoth appeared in a glowing fashion.

"_Commander Talus, you are disobeying orders, you were meant to return the humans to Asuras then move on to attack more human populated worlds, why have you pressed an attack into wraith territory?"_

"We are at war with the wraith; the lack of potentia aboard our ships hampers our longevity in sustained battle which becomes necessary due to wraith numbers. This facility is the major reason why our ships can't be equipped with potentia. I have neutralised the threat."

"_Our fleet won't be engaging the wraith much longer, the best tactic is to destroy human worl-"_

Oberoth was cut off when Talus abruptly cut the connection and moved to the two Lantean letters on his collar.

"McKay now!"

On the bridge McKay bent down at the console and pulled off the metal plate inserting a new control crystal before replacing it and getting back up to the console as simultaneously on the other side the subspace communication panel sparked and died as a high pitched whine broke out over the ship.

Talus moved his hands to his ears and gritted his teeth as the whine overwhelmed the other Asurans. When the whine stopped Talus regained his footing and looked up at John, Elizabeth and Teyla.

"Wasn't an argument I was going to win anyway." Talus turned and left retuning to the bridge.

* * *

When he arrived McKay had launched full on berating the Asuran officer who was manning the about causing many of the officers to figure their side arms.

"What happened?" Talus had already schooled his features.

"Well your idiot here overloaded the subspace array and sent out a massive anti-phase pulse outside of the ship completely fusing the subspace link to the replicator collective."

Talus turned to his technician.

"Is this true?"

The Asuran looked uncertain about how to respond.

"Well, yes sir,"

Talus gestured to the guards.

"Take that officer into custody, Dr McKay redouble your efforts to bring shields and weapons on at the same time."

McKay nodded and started bossing the Asuran crew around, the looked to Talus for guidance who nodded as McKay barked out orders to the crew.

* * *

McKay entered the diplomatic suite to join John, Elizabeth and Teyla.

"Hey guys," McKay seemed subdued compared to his normal attitude.

"Rodney, what've you got?" John asked.

"We've been able to tie the main systems together with the ZedPM to have shields at half power and weapons online, the hyperdrive should be up shortly, and assuming the wraith haven't accelerated they'll be here in a matter of hours-"

McKay was cut off when the ship rocked to the side and an explosion reverberated through the hull.

"That's not wraith weapons fire."

McKay was right for above the _Celestis _the rebel Asuran city-ship loomed, drones left the bays in single fire moving in arcs round to slam into the _Celestis. _Explosions rippled through the hull as metal and assorted alloys were vaporised, the next series of drones focused on the weapons emplacements, a single drone collided with the cutting beam arrays causing it to explode in a grey and silver fire ball before colliding with the hull.

McKay ducked as sparks fell from the ceiling and the ship listed to the side, the door panel slide open and two Asurans walked in their guns raised.

"What have you done-"

The Asuran was cut off as a familiar looking orange pulse of light sliced straight through his mid-section causing him to surge forwards as nanites fell from his body, completely overloaded by the mini-drones energy. The second turned to fire his pistol at the intruder only to be hit by a mini-drone himself, going flying into the wall as he turned into individual nanites.

Talus stepped forward into the room, on his right arm was a sliver prism with a hexagonal base; his left hand was on a glowing hexagonal crystal.

"I suggest you follow me out, this ship won't take much more." Talus' point the ship crashed to the side again as he gestured them to follow him out.

"What's happening?" John asked as he helped Elizabeth balance from another impact.

"We're under attack from a city-ship, either Atlantis is attacking or the rebels had a second ship."

McKay started down the corridor away from the others, Talus looked at him questioningly.

"Hanger bay for a jumper," McKay said in response to the unasked question.

"We can't just leave, there's a pontentia at the core of this ship, we can't just leave it."

John nodded in agreement as the four made their way deeper into the _Celestis_.

* * *

On the bridge the female Asuran commander desperately gave orders to return fire on the city-ship already knowing that every effort would be futile, they were no match for the fire power on a city-ship. The hail of drone fire on the _Celestis _was pin-point accurate, taking down specific systems slowly, almost in a parody of the Asuran assault on their copy of Atlantis.

Talus ran as fast as he could to the core, two of the Asuran guards came forwards to stop him, Talus' eyes closed and two mini-drones speed out of the launcher and stroke the two guards sending them flying across the room already disintegrating. Talus swept the area as John, Elizabeth and McKay swept in.

"Pull it," Talus ordered as McKay placed his hands on the consoles.

* * *

Jennifer looked out through the sensor feed as the _Celestis _was slowly destroyed by the drone fire in vengeance for the attack on their copy of Atlantis.

Lyos looked up from his console.

"We are detecting a gateship heading for us,"

Jennifer nodded.

"Then finish the _Celestis _now,"

* * *

John watched from the co-pilots seat as the _Celestis _turned into a ball of fire and superheated gas. Talus carefully moved the jumper towards the city-ship, the HUD flashed on the screen showing the central towers roof opening and a flashing point on the Jumper bay landing areas.

"We're receiving landing instructions." Talus said examining the data.

John looked at Talus in shock.

"You're not actually thinking of following them, they just destroyed your ship and now your following their instructions?"

It was McKay who answered John's incredulous question.

"A city-ship has far more fire power than that, they could've destroyed the _Celestis_ with ease in far less time than it took, they were waiting for us to get out. As soon as we were clear they finished them off. They want us."

"Which means, I know who they are."

Everyone turned as Talus flew the Jumper into the bay.

* * *

When they exited the Jumper two Asuran guards instantly relieved Talus of his mini-drone launcher and held their side arms to his head.

"Don't worry, go with them and you'll be fine," It was the Asuran who had taken Jennifer Keller's form.

Talus nodded and left with the guards while John, Elizabeth, Teyla and Rodney followed Talus out, they all looked weary of the Asuran commander.

"Take them to the guest quarters, make the jump to hyperspace."

In space the massive bulk of the city-ship pulled up from the newly formed asteroid belt as the three hive ships arrived, opening fire with the full force of their plasma batteries, each burst worth more than 600 megatons, and yet even under the sustained fire the city's shields held as it entered hyperspace the bright blue ion drives at the base of the city piers flared as the city entered the hyperspace window.

* * *

Oberoth paced his cell at the base of _Biarmaland's _central tower, he'd sent out a request for assistance from his ships, he again lost himself in his memories as Kashyapa whispered his destiny as the inheritor of the Ancients, as the superior children of the Ancients to carry on the legacy of their people. His mussing was once more interrupted as General Korceanat entered, his greying artificial hair shining slightly in the light as he walked in with a dignified stride.

"High Councillor Oberoth, there are somethings I want to know and I want to know them now?" Korceanat advanced on Oberoth as the force field deactivated. "How did you take control of the collective? What do you want with control of us and what exactly are you prepared to do in order to keep control?"

Korceanat's questions were fats, taken place without the need to breath he could rattle them off as long as he wanted, but he had already let out his frustration and anger against his species very probably enslaver, he was vaguely aware of Oberoth trying to make some type of protest as Korceanat's hand dissolved into Oberoth's forehead as he leveraged himself into his memories.

* * *

"So, we're back where we started," John paced his cell in the guest quarters as McKay sat on the corner of one of the beds, Elizabeth lay sprawled on another while Teyla nodded looking out at the streaks of hyperspace.

The doors split open and one of the Asurans entered.

"Hello, my name is Lyos, if you will come with me,"

As Lyos turned McKay was already following, Teyla followed straight after as Elizabeth took John's arm guiding him out. They made their way to the balcony to see the city drop out of hyperspace, not waiting to establish and orbit the city immediately moved into the atmosphere heading towards the landmass. The city plunged through the atmosphere picking up more and more speed, the bottom of the shields glowed orange as it plunged deep and deeper. McKay broke into a sprint into the city's control chair, the Asuran version of Jennifer Keller sat in the reclined seat her face slack and her eyes closed in concentration as the chair moved.

"You're heading in too steep, we'll burn up," McKay wheezed out as the city seemed to shake itself to pieces, John and the others followed him in.

"No we won't," Jennifer said as she changed the seats rotation to face McKay. "You forget, while you have amassed a functional knowledge of Lantean technology, we are capable of building it."

Underneath them the floor faded as a hologram of the ground rising underneath the city rose seen through the orange haze of the shields.

"Just relax Rodney, I know what I'm doing," Jennifer spoke again, her voice comforting McKay despite the circumstances.

The City continued to fall till at just less than one kilometre above the ground the city's ion drive fired at maximum power negating the acceleration of gravity, the city hung in the air as the engines lowered their output and the city hovered before moving in a cycle heading over the land mass. McKay and the others watched in fascination and wonder as the city all but glided over to a large raised plateau.

"As I said, you can use the technology and have some understanding, but we can build anything they could."

The City's glass and metal towers shone reflecting the sunlight majestically as it gently lowered itself onto the plateau floor; the landing was gentle with barely a jolt as Jennifer rose out of the chair, her eyes taking in the looks of the team rapt with awe at the landing. Jennifer smiled in success, she'd deliberately made the most impressive and awe-inspiring landing she could, she'd noticed Ronan's absence and she knew if her friend had died she'd want a distraction.

"Dr McKay, this planet lacks a Stargate, would you care to observe the construction procedure?" Jennifer smiled at McKay's almost childlike ecstatic face, not trusting his voice he nodded in response to the offer. "Colonel Shepperd, Teyla Emagen, Dr Weir, I know it's not much, but we're doing a reconnaissance flight of Gateships to locate a set of fabricator ships hidden in the system that will allow us to begin to build our own civilisation free from Oberoth's control."

"And in return for our help?" it was Elizabeth who turned to look Jennifer in the eye, she smiled in response.

"We will assist the citizens of Atlantis in the understanding of the technology so firmly beyond them, and allow them to use our potentia, ZeePM, construction factory to replenish their stores."

McKay's jaw opened and closed, Teyla looked taken aback.

"You have one of those, here," John's eyes where wide and blinking.

Jennifer smiled and nodded, she noticed McKay faint in the background.

* * *

On Asuras Korceanat's hand reformed as he pulled out of Oberoth's mind, as he fell Korceanat turned to the guard.

"Recall ships commanded by only those we trust and reactivate the link to the collective," Korceanat sealed the door. "And find me liaison officer Hossack!"

As the guards left Oberoth sank to the floor his eyes rolling back into his head, his link to the collective had been sealed off. He snarled in frustration, he was the chosen heir of the Ancient's he would regain control, _he must._

* * *

Thousands of light years away on Atlantis the real Colonel Shepperd filed paper work on his last few evac missions about how the Asurans had fellen back, he sighed and rubbed his eyes before heading to his own room.

Ronan ran laps around the East pier, falling against the side railing panting, before starting again; he needed to burn off some anger.

Guide rested in the brig ignoring the smirking figure of Seeker at the railing of one of the other cells.

Teyla sat in her quarters, her pregnancy beginning to show as she read and reread numerous intelligence files showing no information on her people.

Laura Cadman entered McKay's lad, two mugs of coffee in her hand, she stopped when she saw Rodney passed out on the keyboard, she put down one of the mugs and gently shook Rodney's shoulder.

While Sam turned into bed dreaming not of the wonder full worlds she had seen since joining the Stargate program, but nightmares of Asuran and wraith assaults, of Atlantis being destroyed as humans across the galaxy suffered and died. She'd stop it. _She'd do all she could._

Meanwhile above it all the entity watched events unfold across the galaxy, soon, the others resistance would not stop him interfering any more, the energy form of the being resolved inside the outpost the energy coalesced, the effects of millions of years of evolution formed as the humanoid body appeared as the glowing whit mist faded, the entity opened it's eyes, no not the entity anymore. Ikaros Hippoforalkus opened his eyes to the world, the Lantean prodigy returned to his physical form after spending years amongst the ascended.


End file.
